Hoole man's body was discovered by work colleague

A MAN found hanged at a business park on the outskirts of Chester had taken his own life.

Paul Wilding, 48, of Elmwood Avenue, Hoole, was found by a work colleague in the morning of November 19 at the premises of Airflow Group Ltd on Wilding’s Business Park in Guilden Sutton Lane, Guilden Sutton.

Mr Wilding, who was married with children, worked as an air conditioning engineer at Airflow, had links to Plemstall, near Mickle Trafford and attended Upton High School in the late 1970s.

An inquest in Chester yesterday heard from Mr Wilding’s wife of 23 years, Kerry, who said in hindsight her husband had not been himself for the last eight months of his life.

But she said there was no indication he would take his own life and he had never been treated for any mental health problems.

Mrs Wilding said at the time the couple were arguing a lot and had some money worries, but she described Mr Wilding as being a little bit more “moody” than usual.

She also said her husband had never got over the death of his mother in the late 1990s.

Mrs Wilding said on the morning of November 19 she woke at 6am to find Mr Wilding was not there.

She began to worry and rang around looking for him. She rang his work mobile a number of times but could not get through.

Mr Wilding did ring the house phone once and Mrs Wilding said “he said goodbye and put the phone down”.

The inquest also heard Mrs Wilding had found a note which said he was “going to see his mother” and she then rang the police.

Police began searching near to St Peter’s Church in Plemstall, where his mother was buried, for signs of Mr Wilding before they were informed of his death.

The inquest also heard from the colleague who found Mr Wilding, Lee Saunderson.

Mr Saunderson, a joiner, said he was meant to start work that day with Mr Wilding at a site on Sealand Road, Chester, and Mr Wilding was supposed to pick up the parts.

Mr Saunderson said after calling Mr Wilding repeatedly to see whether he had got the parts he decided to pick them up himself from the site in Guilden Sutton.

He said he went into the building and saw Mr Wilding who “seemed to be staring at something he was looking for” and called to him.

There was no answer so he moved closer and then saw the rope. Mr Saunderson said he turned around and went to the company two doors down and rang police at about 9.30am.

Ambulance crews and police arrived at the scene shortly after and declared Mr Wilding dead, with no suspicious circumstances.

The pathologist confirmed Mr Wilding died from hanging from a beam above and toxicology results came back negative for any substances.

The assistant coroner for Cheshire, Dr Janet Napier, said Mr Wilding’s death was “tremendously sad” and told the inquest Mrs Wilding had done everything possible.

She concluded Mr Wilding took his own life while the balance of his mind was disturbed.